Thomas Jefferson Byrd (June 25, 1950 – October 3, 2020) was an American character actor who appeared in several of director Spike Lee's films.

Byrd starred in numerous regional stage productions including the San Diego Repertory Theatre's award-winning performance of Spunk.

[2] For his Broadway debut, a performance in the 2003 revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Byrd received a Tony Award nomination for best featured actor.

[3][1] Byrd appeared in several films directed by Spike Lee, including Clockers, Get on the Bus, Bamboozled, Red Hook Summer, and Chi-Raq.

[2] After an emergency call was made in Atlanta, Georgia, around 1:45 a.m. on October 3, 2020, Byrd was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds in his back and pronounced dead.